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CUBA
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U.S. Farm Producers Travel to Cuba
By Anita Snow, Associated
Press Writer.
HAVANA, 13 - The door to American trade
with Cuba was nudged open a bit more this
weekend as more than 250 U.S. agribusiness
representatives traveled here for sales
talks, marking the second anniversary of
the first U.S. commercial food shipments
to the communist island.
Pedro Alvarez, head of Cuba's food import
company, Alimport, told The Associated Press
on Saturday that he expected at least $130
million in new sales contracts would be
signed during four days of talks, which
begin Monday.
"We've had a really strong response
from companies" to the government's
invitation to participate in the talks,
said Alvarez, adding that 147 companies
from 29 states, Washington D.C. and Puerto
Rico are expected to attend.
Alvarez said the companies included Riceland
Foods Inc. of Stuttgart, Ark.; Cargill Inc.,
of Minnetonka, Minn.; Archer Daniels Midland
of Decatur, Iowa; FC Stone of Des Moines,
Iowa; and Kaehler's Homedale Farms in St.
Charles, Minn.
The steady interest by American agribusiness
in Cuba comes despite a tightening of restrictions
on the island by the Bush administration,
including stepped-up enforcement of rules
on American travel.
Most average Americans are effectively
barred from visiting the island under U.S.
Treasury Department regulations prohibiting
them from spending money here. In recent
weeks, American authorities have increased
inspections of Cuban-bound flights from
Miami to ensure they have approval to travel
here.
But a law passed in 2000 made an exception
to the four-decade-old U.S. trade embargo,
allowing direct, commercial sales of American
farm products to the Caribbean country on
a cash basis.
Alvarez said that since then Cuba has signed
contracts to buy $509 million worth of American
farm goods.
Chris Aberle, domestic sales director for
FC Stone, said in a telephone interview
from his base in New Smyrna Beach, Fla.
that "Cuba has been a good business
for us."
FC Stone is owned by 750 grain cooperatives
throughout the United States, said Aberle,
who is traveling to Havana on Monday for
the talks.
"A big part of our business is to
link members with as many markets for their
products as possible, and we will continue
to search out those markets," he said.
Aberle said FC Stone in recent days received
an advance order from Cuba for nearly $7
million worth of corn. He said that once
the contracts for those sales is signed
in the coming days, FC Stone will have racked
up $45 million in sales to Cuba in corn,
soy beans and wheat.
Arriving in Havana on Saturday was Alabama
Agriculture Commissioner Ron Sparks and
the state's top congressional representatives,
who said they hoped to drum up new business
for their state's producers.
"Our No. 1 industry in Alabama is
agriculture and our relationship with Cuba
could help our producers," said Sparks,
a Democrat.
High-ranking Republicans also have traveled
here in support of increased trade with
Cuba.
Cuba first used the law in late 2001 to
replenish its food reserves after Hurricane
Michelle caused wide damage across the country.
The first shipment, $300,000 worth of chicken
parts, sailed into Havana Bay from Gulfport,
Miss. on Dec. 16, 2001.
Because the law prohibits U.S. financing
for the sales, the Cuban funds generally
are shipped through European banks. Cuban
officials have said those roundabout funding
transactions have cost the island at least
$10 million because of bank fees and fluctuating
foreign exchange rates.
Cuban Film Tops at Latin America Festival
HAVANA, 12 - The Cuban film "Suite
Habana," a dreary, real-life look at
a group of capital residents, took the top
award Friday as the annual New Latin American
Cinema Festival ended. '
The creator of "Suite Habana,"
Fernando Perez, also was awarded the festival's
best director prize.
Films from Chile, Brazil and Argentina
also took awards in the event, known in
Spanish as the Festival del Nuevo Cine Latinoamericano.
Now in its 25th year, the festival is among
the most important film festivals in the
region.
"B-Happy," by Gonzalo Justiniano
of Chile, took second prize in the best
film category, and "Kamchatka,"
by Marcelo Pineyro of Argentina, came in
third.
The judges also gave a special prize to
the film "Carandiru," by Hector
Babenco (news), which offers a look at life
in Brazilian (news - web sites) jails.
The festival, which opened here on Dec.
2, was ending Friday night with a formal
awards ceremony.
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